Hamit heads home

Van Gaal’s senior squad shrinks again

Created on 23-07-2010 at 00:00 AM

The FCB reserves open their third division campaign on Sunday, and the players concerned duly boarded the bus to depart Bayern’s Lake Garda training camp on Thursday evening. But there was an unexpected and unplanned name on the passenger list too: Hamit Altintop gathered up his belongings and joined the reserve side for the trip back to Munich.

The reason was an injury. Altintop felt a hamstring go stiff in the afternoon and was ruled out of further training for the time being. The Turkey international was ordered by the club medical unit not to attempt exercise on Friday, and the decision was taken to send him home from the training camp. Altintop will now report to the Säbener Strasse for intensive treatment over the weekend.

Louis van Gaal’s decimated senior squad for the camp at Riva del Garda is thus another man down. Reserve keeper Thomas Kraft was even obliged to fill in at right-back in a four times twelve-minute practice match. The camp ends on Saturday with a friendly between the German double winners and a Trentino regional XI, but it remains extremely unclear as to the line-up coach van Gaal will be able to field.